SASEBO, Japan – Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Avalos, a native of Bell Gardens, California, knew he wanted to improve, and he thought the U.S. Navy might be the place to do it.
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| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
Now, five years later and half a world away, Avalos serves aboard one of the Navy’s most advanced amphibious ships at Fleet Activities Sasebo, patrolling one of the world’s busiest maritime regions as part of U.S. 7th Fleet.
“It’s different,” he said. “Being forward deployed is not like the normal Navy. We're out to sea a lot, not by duration, just more frequently, and depending on the environment, the operational tempo can be very stressful.”
Avalos, a 2012 graduate of Bell Gardens High School, is an intelligence specialist aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in Sasebo, Japan.
“I’m the leading petty officer of the imagery processing information center,” he said. “We’re responsible to the fleet for taking satellite images of the area and analyzing what's going on in those images to help our Navy and our allies better understand the movements of adversarial vessels.”
Avalos credits some success in the Navy to lessons learned in Bell Gardens.
“My father wasn't really around early in life, and eventually he came back into picture,” Avalos said. “He was sorry for his mistakes and he wanted to do everything in his power to stop me from the same path. Because of that, I am very dependable and that has carried over into my career.”
U.S. 7th Fleet spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South. U.S. 7th Fleet's area of operations encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50 percent of the world’s population with between 50-70 U.S. ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 sailors.
“The atmosphere and culture of being in Japan is interesting,” Avalos said. “When we're in port, despite being on an island, there's so much to see, like climbing Mount Fuji or visiting Tokyo, you get to take the time to visit the culture and that's exciting.”
With more than 50 percent of the world's shipping tonnage and a third of the world's crude oil passing through the region, the United States has historic and enduring interests in this part of the world. The Navy's presence in Sasebo is part of that long-standing commitment.
"The Navy is forward-deployed to provide security and strengthen relationships in a free and open Indo-Pacific. It's not just the ships and aircraft that have shown up to prevent conflict and promote peace," said Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. "It is, and will continue to be our people who define the role our Navy plays around the world. People who've made a choice, and have the will and strength of character to make a difference."
Wasp, one of the Navy's most advanced amphibious ships, is designed to deliver Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts.
Sailors' jobs are highly varied aboard USS Wasp. More than 1,000 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weapons to maintaining the engines. An additional 1,200 Marines can be embarked. USS Wasp is capable of transporting Marines and landing them where they are needed using helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and other water-to-shore landing craft.
These ships support missions from sea to shore, special operations and other warfare missions. They also serve as secondary aviation platforms. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice, according to Navy officials.
Serving in the Navy means Avalos is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Avalos and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“The opportunities that the Navy provides are different for everyone,” he said. “The job you choose determines where in the world you can go to. My rate takes me all over the world, you're not stuck in one place, you're not stuck out in the desert like some other branches. You can deploy with a wide variety of units.”